King called, and I left my Nancy
That's the last of her I ever did see
I took the musket, took the pay
I took the shilling and rode away.
March on, I heard the captain say
For King and Country you will fight this day
The pipes did play as they marched along
A thousand voices all raised in song.
To the call of "come out boys come, and hear the cannons roar
Take the king's shilling, and you're off to war
Take the king's shilling
Take the king's shilling
And you're off to war."
The drums pounded, and the cannons roared
And soon that shilling, it didn't seem much at all
The Sabres shone in the morning sun
My whole world shook to the sound of guns
As the called out "come out boys come, and hear the cannons roar
Take the king's shilling, and you're off to war
Take the king's shilling
Take the king's shilling
And you're off to war."
In the melee, so many bodies fell
And of my love no news did I hear tell
My tears now stain the flagstone floor
I long to hear him sing just once more
And he'd sing "come now boys come, and hear the cannons roar
Take the king's shilling, and you're off to war
Take the king's shilling
Take the king's shilling
And you're off to war."
Come now boys come, and hear the cannons roar
Take the king's shilling, and you're off to war
Take the king's shilling
Take the king's shilling
And you're off to war.